Sorrow
by bored2012
Summary: Entry 62: Why can't I do anything right? I screw everything up. Maybe leaving is the best option for me... Story about Sakura leaving everyone she loves and then being found again.
1. Prologue

If you have been reading _Naruto_, you know what Sakura plans on doing. I thought I'd twist it to where she gives up instead of going through with her plans. Enjoy!

**A/N:** _Also, please remember that this first chapter is just some background for this story. It isn't even a real chapter.... Reading the prologue shouldn't affect your opinion to read the actual first chapter. Trust me, the next chapter is longer and actually has a story to it._ _Skipping this will not affect the story line at all. But, I know this story isn't everyone's cup of tea, so please do not read if you do not like it. However, feel free to leave a review suggesting a story and genre that you may like to read._

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**Entry 62**

_Why is being myself always so hard? I can't even be honest to myself. Why can't I just do things right? I screw everything up. Why do I make people keep promises that aren't meant to be kept? Because of me, he is in danger. Because of some stupid, childish promise, I managed to cause numerous problems._

_I love both of them. But, sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love to help them, right? I have feelings for both of them. But, the feelings aren't the same. I've tried lying my way out of the promise, but it didn't work. _

_Why did I make such a stupid promise? I feel the regret, the guilt eating away at me everyday, every second. I wonder how he must feel. It's all my fault. I take the blame, but he's still trying to fulfill his end of the promise. Why won't he quit? Why is he always trying so hard to make me happy, even if he ends up unhappy or in pain?_

_Everything is my fault! I'm so stupid. I'm so careless. I hate the way I am. Why can't I do things right, like a normal person? I pretty much go out of my way to cause others problems. I might be better gone. I might be more useful if I was dead. You can't keep promises to dead people, right?_

_To leave would be hard. Suicide is the easy way out. I was never good at difficult things anyways. So I guess leaving is out of the question, but suicide would mean everyone would know what I was thinking. At least if I leave, there are multiple reasons to leave for, like maybe I needed to get away or I went to find him._

_That's it. I'll leave and never return. The world won't miss me. I was never important, so why would anyone miss me? He might be the only one who cries over my disappearance. Of course, I was always a problem to him. I was always making him keep pointless promises. he might be happier if I am gone. He could learn to love someone else, someone better who won't hurt him like I do. _

_I wonder if I will be missed at all? Will anyone even notice? I feel like I'm trying to talk myself out of leaving now. But, still, doesn't everyone wonder what happens when they leave or die? I'll probably just be forgotten like someone who passes you by on a busy street. A person with no name or face._

_I don't feel welcome here anymore. My tears have stained this page too many times. The ink is smeared too far to be legible. I guess this feeling is my cue to leave. Good bye...._

**End of Entry**

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Thank you for reading! Sorry if it is confusing to some (or all)... I know it is really short, but it is just the prologue. This story was inspired by the songs _The Good Left Undone_ by Rise Against and _Scarlet Letters_ by Mudvayne. The lyrics are listed below. If you read them, you can tell how I got the story to sound depressing...

_The Good Left Undone_:

In fields where nothing grew but weeds,  
I found a flower at my feet,  
Bending there in my direction,  
I wrapped a hand around its stem,  
I pulled until the roots gave in,  
Finding there what I'd been missing,

But I know...  
So I tell myself, I tell myself it's wrong.  
There's a point we pass from which we can't return.  
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.

All because of you,  
I haven't slept in so long.  
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,  
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,  
I'll follow your voice,  
All you have to do is shout it out.

Inside my hands these petals browned,  
Dried up, fallen to the ground  
But it was already too late now.  
I pushed my fingers through the earth,  
Returned this flower to the dirt,  
So it could live. I walked away now.

But I know...  
Not a day goes by that I don't feel this burn.  
There's a point we pass from which we can't return.  
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.

All because of you,  
I haven't slept in so long,  
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,  
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,  
I'll follow your voice,  
All you have to do is shout it out.

All because of you...  
All because of you...

All because of you,  
I haven't slept in so long.  
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,  
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,  
Inside these arms of yours.

All because of you,  
I believe in angels.  
Not the kind with wings,  
No, not the kind with halos,  
The kind that bring you home,  
When home becomes a strange place.  
I'll follow your voice,  
All you have to do is shout it out.

_Scarlet Letters_

The heart is beating but the soul has died  
The body's breathing beneath catatonic eyes  
The blood is flowing, set it free for demise  
I've lost my balance, but god knows I've tried

I don't wanna be here anymore in scarlet letters  
Carved into what once was me  
Once was yours no more (no more)

An uphill battle I failed to climb  
I left it all now and I don't mind  
Betrayed and broken consumed by the lies  
Farewell to you all, I'll be fine. Goodbye.

I don't wanna be here anymore in scarlet letters  
Carved into what once was me  
Once was yours no more  
I don't wanna be here anymore the scarlet letter  
Torn in two, a piece of me, the peace in you no more

Do you believe in loss?  
Do you believe in faith?

Do you believe in death?  
Now that I'm gone  
Forsaken me, ashes to dust just let me lie  
Lay me to rest, I've done my best but lost my sight  
Turning my back, leave me alone let spirit rise  
Knives in my back, all hope is lost  
Say goodbye

I don't wanna be here anymore in Scarlet Letters  
Got to do, what once was me, once was yours, no more  
I don't want to be here anymore, I don't wanna be  
here anymore the scarlet letters  
Carved into what once was me, once was yours no more.


	2. Eight Years Later

Second chapter. I meant to add it Wednesday, but I'm not sleepy, so I decided to add it anyways. This will make the first chapter make a little bit more sense.

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_It had been two years since the end of the Fourth Ninja War, which lasted six years. Uchiha Madara had been killed, for good this time. All traces of the Akatsuki had been erased from existence. Villages were still recovering from the damage and destruction the war had caused, however. _

_Amidst all the confusion, several ninjas had gone missing. They were either missing-nin or casualties caused by the war. It took time to take into account present ninjas, deceased ninjas, and the missing-nins. _

_One ninja in particular that was missing was Haruno Sakura. Though, unlike other missing ninjas, she was classified as missing due to a diary entry found. The entry stated clearly that she was leaving. As to whether she was still alive or not was still a mystery. Since this was unknown, she was put on the missing-nin list and was to be captured if found.

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_

Uzumaki Naruto had just finished helping restore a broken fence. He wiped the sweat from his face and looked around. The world was in a state of repair. No missions other than reconstruction were available. He saw Kakashi-sensei talking to a group of genin working on a destroyed barn and walked over to listen.

"You're lying!" one of the genin argued with him.

"No, really." He reassured. "Ah, Naruto, don't you agree that my hair is naturally silver?"

"Kakashi-sensei, is that really something to be arguing about right now….." he asked his teacher, scratching his head with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Well, I suppose not," Kakashi responded. "Alright, back to work. All repairs are almost complete."

With that, all the genin left to whatever tasks they had been assigned. Naruto and Kakashi were left alone. Naruto scratched his head again and turned to face his old teacher.

"Have there been any more rumors, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Not lately. Sorry. It looks like she doesn't want to be found."

"Why did she leave? Why couldn't she stay? Why…"

"Naruto, you read the entry. More than anyone else did. Those words were hers. You know why she left. She might come back one day, but until then you have to stay strong. Unless, you have decided to give up on being Hokage?"

Naruto looked at him closely and smiled as happily as he could. He missed Sakura. He hated that she left. He felt responsible because he had told her he wouldn't give up on the promise. But, he knew better than to let Kakashi know that.

"You're right, Kakashi-sensei. I will be the next Hokage. I gotta go help Baa-chan at the hospital. See you later!"

Naruto turned and headed towards the hospital. The frown he had been concealing suddenly revealed itself. He knew he would end up drunk again. He always did whenever he thought about her. Maybe some work would clear his head for a little while at the least. Or at least until he got home where his sake bottle was...  


* * *

Sakura stood looking at the sky. It looked like it might rain soon. Dark gray clouds blotted the pale blue sky. She turned and headed into the small house she had called home for the last eight years.

When she had left her old life, she knew she had to go to a remote place if she didn't want to be found. Luckily for her, there was an extremely remote place. She went there, saying she was a doctor. The people in the tiny town believed her. They didn't have any proof she was otherwise. To them, she looked like an everyday person. Average. Which was exactly what she wanted them to think.

Things had gone well for the past eight years. There weren't any ninjas in the town, so the disguise jutsu she used every day was never noticed. The people had come to trust her with their medical problems since there wasn't an official doctor in the town. There were some mid-wives and herbal remedies, but not any doctors and real medicine.

The occasional ninja passed through the town sometimes, but Sakura lived on the outskirts of the small town. The visitors never came to her. For that, she was grateful, but her nerves were always on end when reports that a ninja was visiting came to her. She didn't want any reminders of her previous life.

She had left her old life. She had left all the problems she had caused. She was no longer a nuisance to her friends. She was free. Yet, she missed her old life. She missed her friends. And for some reason, she missed Naruto the most of all. The one person she didn't deserve to ever see again was the person she longed to see again.

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Hopefully this chapter makes up for the first. The first was kinda depressing. Anyways, thank you for reading. I'll update soon.


	3. Journey out of the City

Third chapter. This one has some slight humor in it. Hope you enjoy!!! ^_^

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"Naruto!"

Naruto turned to look at the person calling him. Ino was standing behind him, waving. She smiled and walked closer to where he was standing. He had been on his way home, but now he was curious as to what she wanted.

"Naruto, I finally found you! You have a mission. Come with me," she told him.

"A mission? Really?"

"Yeah, this one is just for you. You get to leave the city, too."

"I do?"

"Yeah, now come on!"

Ino turned on her heel and headed to where the Hokage's Tower was. Naruto followed her, wondering where he was getting to go after being stuck in the city for so long. Maybe leaving for a bit would help him. He stopped, shook his head, and followed Ino through the door.

They walked up a few sets of stairs until they reached the Hokage's office. Ino knocked. A silent 'enter' came through the thick wood. Both entered the room to meet with Kakashi-sensei. He looked up at them.

"Ah, Ino, you finally found him."

"Yes sir."

"Naruto, I'm sure Ino has already told you a little about your mission."

"Yeah, Ino-chan said I was leaving the city for a mission."

"You are. You will be heading to a remote village in the far north. An earthquake hit there recently, and the villagers need help with repairs. You need to leave the city, so I figured you and your clones could handle an easy job like this."

Kakashi looked at him, waiting for a reply. Naruto was excited at the thought of leaving. He was thinking of all the things to pack. He was so excited, he forgot to reply.

"Naruto! Give a reply!" Ino yelled at him as she hit him across the back of his head.

"Eh, sorry Ino-chan. I just got excited. Of course I accept. I'll leave immediately. Um, but where exactly am I going?"

"The directions are on this piece of paper. Leave as soon as possible. Dismissed."

With the last command given, Naruto left. He sped home to pack for his mission. He packed several packs of instant ramen and some clothes. He didn't see anything else that he might need. With a quick glance over his bedroom, he turned and left.

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The journey to the small village was easy and quick. He lingered around the woods for a while, enjoying his time out of the city. Even though he traveled at a leisurely pace, Naruto arrived in about two days. He liked the way the village looked. Tranquil and quiet. But, he had a nagging feeling, a feeling like he got when he was around a ninja concealing their power. Kakashi-sensei had said this village had no ninjas, so he passed it off as hunger.

He met with the leaders of the village to see what he was supposed to do. They assigned him tasks and he set to him. He was happy to be out of the city and out in a quiet village like this one. It was peaceful.

Unfortunately, the peace didn't last too much longer. While helping some men from the village fix an old lady's home, one of the men dropped a beam. The beam was falling towards a group of men, destined to hit one of them. Naruto quickly rushed to them, and he pushed them to safety, taking the blow himself.

It wasn't a bad blow. Naruto had avoided the worst of it by moving to the side. However, the bone in his left arm felt cracked. And shattered his hand. He stood up, dizzy from the pain. Several of the men he had saved were saying something about getting him to the doctor. He shook his head, getting back his mind, and looked at them.

"There's a doctor here?" He asked them, surprised that a small town like this had a doctor.

"Yeah. She's really good. She'll take care of your arm in no time," replied one of the men. "I'll walk you to her house." The man gave a friendly smile with his offer.

Naruto smiled back. The man began walking towards the edge of the village. Naruto followed. His arm was killing him. The lack of actual missions and the repairs had put a hold on his training. He blamed that reason alone for his current injury.

The man came to a stop in front of a cozy looking house. The feeling Naruto had had earlier was back. He shook it off this time as pain. The man knocked on the door. Naruto heard someone say 'just a minute' from behind the door. A few seconds later, a woman opened the door and looked at the two of them. She narrowed her eyes slightly at Naruto.

The feeling Naruto had had on and off in the village hit him all at once. Looking at the woman in the doorframe, he realized why he had had that feeling. She was a shinobi like him. A medic-nin, too, he realized as he took in her appearance. A medic-nin using a disguise jutsu whose chakra he recognized immediately. He suddenly lost all thought process.

"Sakura-chan?"

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How was it? Let me know so I can make it better if necessary!


	4. Tears

The chapters appear to be getting longer.... I updated quickly because the only person to review asked me to... Oh well, please enjoy!

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Naruto stared at her. She had a blank expression on her fake face, but her eyes were a war zone. His mind didn't want to work. Inside, he could feel all the pain she had caused him the last few years. He could feel all the guilt, all the heartache she had caused him. He could only stare at her, watching her emotions conflicting amongst themselves behind her glazed eyes.

Then, all at once, he regained cognitive function. He glared at her and moved. He slammed her against the wall that she was in front of. He pinned her there, willing all of his pain into her. He ignored the stinging in his left arm. Sometimes, emotional pain easily out-weighed the physical pain. The man who had escorted him to her looked confused and alarmed. Sakura wasn't struggling to get away. She bowed her head, refusing to look at him.

"Look at me, Sakura-chan," he growled. His voice was deep with anger.

"W-what are you do-oing? Let go of her!" The man behind him was shaking, yet he was still trying to protect the doctor.

Naruto turned his head to look at the man. His face was stuck with an expression of absolute terror.

"How long has she been here?"

Naruto didn't receive a reply. The man was too afraid to answer the shinobi in front of him.

"Answer me, god-dammit!"

He was getting angrier by the second. For almost eight years, he had thought he had lost her. He had convinced himself that the entry was a fake. He had believed she had been kidnapped and framed. He didn't want to believe that she really had left him alone voluntarily.

"A-about e-e-eight years…"

Naruto turned to look at Sakura. Her head was still bowed. He let go of one of her arms and lifted her chin up so he could look at her face. She still had a blank face with torn eyes. For some reason, this really pissed Naruto off. He slapped her. He slapped her hard enough to let her physical pain equal his emotional pain. She would have fallen to the ground, but she was still pinned to the wall by him.

He was in pain. His arm was killing him. His heart was threatening to burst with rage and pain. He wanted her to cry. He wanted her to feel all his pain. Her blank expression was still pissing him off. He wanted her to cry, to show pain, to show some guilt for her actions.

The man had run off to alert the villagers that the shinobi had gone crazy. Naruto could hear a large group of people moving closer. He looked at Sakura, her face red from he had slapped her. He wanted to hit her again, but having her unconscious wouldn't help him any.

The group of villagers had arrived, angry at him for endangering their doctor. He released Sakura from his grasp and turned to face them. She fell to the ground behind him, trembling from some hidden emotion.

"What did you do to the doctor?" one man shouted.

"You monster!"

"Leave now! Your will not be receiving payment!"

Several more shouts of rage rang through his ears. He had about enough of the villagers one-sided accusations. He turned back to Sakura.

"You better release your jutsu now, or one of the villagers will die."

She looked up at him. He could see the tears that wanted to fall, but were denied the ability. It still wasn't enough of a reaction for him. He wanted her to cry until she was dehydrated. He wanted her to see herself through his eyes.

She stood up, and performed the release. Smoke appeared. As it cleared, the Sakura Naruto knew was revealed. Her pink hair, her green eyes. All of the familiar features he remembered and an added maturity were mixed together to show the true Sakura. Several of the villagers gasped. Some cried out. The doctor they had grown so used to was actually a shinobi.

He turned back to the villagers. He felt bad for them. He had been betrayed as well. He could understand their pain.

"I apologize for the trouble. Your doctor is actually a missing-nin from my city. She has been missing for almost eight years. She is to be taken back to my home immediately."

Some villagers nodded. Others offered apologizes towards him, curses towards her. One of the leaders stepped forward. He promised Naruto he would still pay him for his services and apologized for the villagers' rash behavior earlier. The leader then turned to the people and told them to go home. Slowly, the group of people left, leaving Naruto and Sakura alone.

He looked at her. She was a disgrace to him. She was a disgrace to all shinobi. She had hurt him badly. He wanted to hate her. He wanted to hurt her like she had hurt him for the past eight years. But, he loved her. He was happy she was alive and not dead. He wanted to hug her and forgive her.

But, she had caused him so much pain. He had been put through hell because of her. He had become an alcoholic because of her. Naruto hated contradictory emotions. Those damn things were the worst.

He walked closer to her, noticing her flinch as he moved, almost in preparation for another hit. He couldn't bring himself to hit her again. Instead, he hugged her. Maybe showing her love would hurt her more than showing her hate. Her body froze in his embrace. He hated the way she was acting, like she was a doll with no emotions. He released her and took a step away.

"Sakura-chan, heal my left arm." He had calmed down.

She looked at him. He could see the tears falling now. She nodded curtly and gingerly took his arm into her hands and healed it. Naruto could feel the pain going away from that area. The only pain left now was the emotional pain in his heart.

She stepped back and looked at him, knowing she had to leave with him. He didn't feel like leaving tonight. He wanted to spend some time with her. He wanted to see if she felt guilty or had any remorse. He looked at his arm, then at her.

"We'll stay here tonight. I'm too drained to go back today. Pack what you need tonight; we're leaving early."

She nodded quickly. Naruto saw the tears fall with shake of her head. He hugged her again.

"Sakura-chan, why? Why did you leave me? That entry, was it true? Why, Sakura-chan, why?" Naruto whispered into her ear, starting to cry himself.

Sakura didn't stand there like a doll this time. She hugged him back and let her tears fall more freely. He squeezed her tightly, upset with her and himself. He had finally conveyed all of his pain into her, but it didn't make him feel any better.

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That night, neither one of them left the others side. Both felt like small children again. Naruto sat on Sakura's bed as she packed. He sat in the kitchen as she cooked a light dinner. They ate in silence, their tears making the food salty. And when they lay down to sleep, Naruto held her as tightly as possible. Both cried in their sleep.

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Thank you for reading! Review if you have any questions or comments. There is a poll on my profile. Please participate in voting if you get the chance!

To REMNANT_SOLDIER: Thank you for your reviews. You are a very kind person! :D Don't worry, I won't discontinue because I don't have many reviews. If you look at my other stories, some only have 1 or 2, but I still wrote other stories. Thank you again for saying my grammar and writing style are good! Maintaining that 98 in English really paid off... Anyways, thank you for the third time. I really appreciate it when people like you leave reviews. & about your PSP not letting you finish your review, that is weird....


	5. Angry Confession

Thank you for reading.

A special thanks to REMNANT_SOLDIER for leaving the nicest reviews. :) Your reviews made me smile. ^_^

Please enjoy! (I was out for a snow day, so I have plenty of free time to write, therefore, new chapter. Mississippi is on a role for snow days this year. I haven't a four snow days in a year ever!)

**A/N**: Naruto cusses a lot in this chapter. Sorry, but it helps to express how angry he is…

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The morning was bleak. A light drizzle of rain fell from gray clouds. Naruto was watching Sakura as she got ready. She was gathering her things for the journey, tears streaming down her face. Naruto had quit crying already. He was trying to be strong for her.

He was too nice. He couldn't hate her. He had tried to. He had tried his damn best to hate every ounce of her being. But, he couldn't do it. He loved her too much.

"Sakura-chan, please quit crying," he said gently.

She looked at him, dark rings around her eyes. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears. Fresh tears were falling still. Her appearance matched the way Naruto had felt the last eight years. He found solace in the fact that she was in pain. At least he hadn't been the only hurt. She had been hurt, too, just not in the way that he had been. Her pain was that of a person drowned in loneliness. His pain had been that of a person betrayed by the person they loved the most. Both pains were equal in the way they hurt. Both pains hurt a lot.

"Naruto, I-I don't want to g-go back." Her voice was cracked, and she stuttered.

"You have to. You're a missing-nin. I, I don't want to leave you, Sakura-chan. I've been a fucking mess since you disappeared. Taking you back as a prisoner is better than not knowing where you are or if you're still even alive. I love you, Sakura-chan. I love you so much it feels like someone is drilling a hole into my chest."

Naruto paused to catch his breath. He steadied his gaze on her before he continued. They hadn't really spoken; just cried out their frustration and pain. Now was the perfect time to let her know how he really felt.

"I could barely keep myself sane when I heard you were missing. I wanted answers. The answer I got, however, wasn't what I wanted. I got some damn diary entry. A diary entry that you wrote. The fucking entry said you left because you felt useless. It said you were contemplating suicide. The Sakura I know would never say anything like that. But, the paper was in your handwriting. The words on that page had been written by you."

His voice had gotten deeper, angrier. Sakura was slinking to the ground, new tears falling and mixing with the old ones. Her pain and his pain were mixing. She felt awful. She felt worse than awful. Naruto continued. He didn't care if he was hurting her more. This was how he had felt for the last eight years.

"I refused to believe you had written that by choice. I chose to think you had been kidnapped and forced to write that to save yourself. Imagine my surprise when I come to some remote village, and you're the fucking doctor. I was fucking dying inside. I was giving up hope you were alive. I felt like an empty shell. You weren't dead. You were alive and thriving. You wrote those awful words by choice."

He looked down in disgust. His anger was getting the better of him. He was beginning to get inside of her head. She was shaking from guilt. The confined regret inside of her was breaking free.

"N-Naruto, I-I'm s-s-sorry," she managed to stammer, twin rivers running down her face.

"Shut up. You have no idea what you put me through, you fucking bitch. I love you. I love you, so I can't make myself hate you. No matter how much reason says I should hate you, I love you. No matter how much I force myself to hate you, I can't. I'm angry. Even Sasuke didn't make me this angry when he left. I actually managed to hate him. But, you, I can't hate. I can't hate you."

He stood up. He was shaking in anger. She was shaking in fear. Everything he had just said was what he really felt. He was pissed off. She was in the fetal position, the pain eating at her bit by bit. He got some sadistic satisfaction out of it.

Yet, some nagging feeling in him made him feel bad about yelling at her. Some stupid, nagging feeling made him feel like a mean person for letting her know how he truly felt. He wished he could express himself without feeling guilty over it.

That damn feeling made him walk over to where she was. It made him gather her in his arms and hold her. It made him rub her back and whisper apologies. It made him kiss her forehead and let her know he loved her. It made him show her he couldn't hate her. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

An hour later, they left. Naruto made sure to go slowly so Sakura could keep up with him. Eight years without any practice left her out of shape. Besides, he wasn't in any hurry to meet Kakashi with Sakura in tow.

Sakura had quit crying. She had broken down after he had held her. She had told him how she had felt for the last eight years. Apparently, she hadn't been happy. She had cried herself to sleep every night. She told Naruto, out of all the people she had missed, she had missed him the most.

Naruto didn't feel any sympathy towards her. He couldn't bring himself to. He loved her, yes, but that didn't mean he approved of her actions. She had caused herself and him pain. She needed to feel regret for her thoughtless actions in his opinion.

Sakura came to a sudden stop. Naruto turned to look at her. She was standing there, looking up.

"Sakura-chan, we need to go. Come on."

"C-can we rest for a minute? I feel diz…"

Naruto watched as she began to fall. He moved quickly and caught her before she fell. He laid her down and felt her forehead. She had a fever. Getting home would have to be put off for a while. He couldn't force her to travel if she was sick.

Naruto sighed and began to set up a temporary camp. She would be the death of him yet.

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Sorry if this chapter seems lighter. One of my friends recommended not dying of cardiac arrest before tomorrow, so I was kinda laughing as I typed. And, I was in a good mood because of the snow day, too.

Thank you for reading. Review if you have any questions or comments!


	6. Sorry Isn't Gonna be Good Enough

You know the time between midnight and "What the hell am I still doing up?" Definitely not the best time to read something absolutely horrifying. Good thing we had another snow day because I didn't go to sleep until the sun came up… At least I had the soothing sounds of Mudvayne, Rise Against, and Bloodsimple to keep my mind occupied. (Maybe soothing isn't the right word… more like mournful, death-gratifying melodies) O_o

Anyways, here's the new chapter.

Enjoy! :) && thanks for reading!

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Naruto watched Sakura stir in her sleep, covered by his jacket. He had managed to light a fire and fix some ramen for himself. Sakura hadn't woken up since she passed out earlier. He was worried. He didn't want her to die when he had just found her again. Her death would hurt him more than her leaving voluntarily because death wasn't voluntary. Death wasn't optional, and it was permanent.

Naruto sighed and looked up at the waning moon in the sky. There would be a new moon soon. He glanced at Sakura. She was still sleeping, slight tremors racking her otherwise peaceful state. He knew he needed to sleep, but he couldn't let his guard down. They had left the neutral area earlier that day. Sleeping now could cause grief in the long run.

He sighed and looked up again. It would be one long night. At least he wasn't alone, in a sense. Sakura was with him, just not conscious. He glared at the fire. Why couldn't his life be simple? Why did it have to be filled with pain and loss? The fire held no answers.

Naruto awoke with a sudden jolt. He had fallen asleep. He rubbed his eyes and noticed a height on his body that hadn't been there when he fell asleep. The jacket he had placed over Sakura was now draped over him. He glanced quickly to where Sakura had been sleeping. She wasn't there. He jumped to his feet, a new fear sweeping over him. He had been careless. She had gotten away.

The bushes to his left rustled slightly. He turned, keeping his guard up. Sakura was standing there, her hands full of berries. Naruto calmed down, relieved that she hadn't left him again. She walked towards him, offering him some of her bounty. He smiled sheepishly and took a few of the ripe berries.

"Eh, Sakura-chan, you gave me quite the scare this morning and last night…"

Sakura looked at him. Her face still held a soft sadness to it. She smiled weakly.

"Sorry. You were sleeping soundly, and I didn't want to wake you up. Sorry about last night, too. I guess my guilt finally got to me."

Naruto looked at the berries in his hand and picked out a few of the green ones, throwing them to the ground. He chose a few ripe ones and plopped them in his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, knowing what he was about to say would most likely make her cry again. Making her upset was becoming his pastime. He didn't like it, but it was necessary.

"'You reap what you sow.' Isn't that right, Sakura-chan? You didn't have to leave. But, you did. You hurt me, and now you feel guilty about it."

She was looking down at her rations. No tears were falling, yet. Naruto knew she would cry. He would push her buttons until she did. He loved her. Yet, he knew she could hurt him again, so he was making sure she knew what she did to him and what he would do to compensate for his pain. Maybe she would do something stupid again. Maybe she would work her ass off trying to get on his good side again and never leave him.

"Naruto, I-I'm sorry. I can't say it enough to ever cover up my mistakes. I feel so stupid, so childish for what I did. I know I hurt you badly. I know I did. I can see it in your face. Naruto, is there anything I can say or do to make some of your pain go away? I-I know some isn't all, but it's a start. I have a lot to make up for. I know I'll be in trouble when we get back, but maybe there's something I can do now, something I can say that will ease your pain. Knowing I hurt you is hurting me more than I ever thought that it would. I never knew that I loved you this much…"

Naruto looked at her, stunned by her last sentence. She loved him, but how? Did she love him like a brother or something else? It didn't matter right now. She had apologized properly at last. However, the apology she had just given still wasn't near enough. Though, she did offer to do or say anything he wanted. He sighed and looked down.

"You can promise to never leave again. You can promise you will always stay with me. Hell, you can even promise to be my slave. Promises don't mean much. You're going to have to show me that you are going to never leave again. You're going to have to show me that you will always stay with me."

Naruto was still looking towards the ground, but he could tell she was walking towards him. He could feel her wrap her arms around him from behind. He could feel her face nestled into his back, her tears dampening his shirt. He could feel her sadness.

He didn't look at her or hug her back. He ignored her. Well, he tried to, at least. She was whispering apologies over and over again. She was telling him that she loved him in the not-so-brotherly way. That was really hard to ignore. Still, he persevered, waiting till she cried all of her tears and was ready to leave.

But, she had said she loved him. Maybe that would be enough to keep her with him. If she was telling the truth, that is. Sakura was a ninja, after all. She had been trained in lying and deceit. And as far as he could tell, she really good at the deceit part.

He felt Sakura let go of him. He stood up and began packing away all of the items he had set up in the temporary camp. Sakura sat there, numb and unhelpful. He was still ignoring her. He was waiting to be shown that she wouldn't leave.

* * *

When they got to the city, it was nightfall. No one was in the streets to see Naruto escorting Sakura to the Hokage's office. No one was there to see him drag her to where Kakashi was. No one was there to hear Kakashi's surprised exclamation. Well, monotone-surprised exclamation.

"Naruto, I sent you to do repairs. You didn't go out of your way to find her, did you?"

"Sakura-chan was in the village you sent me to."

"Oh."

"What's gonna happen to her, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Rank lowering, probation, and several hundred hours of community service and low rank missions. Also, she will be monitored for the next several years to make sure she has no outside affiliations. If any of this city's secrets or jutsu are known by enemies, she will also be a primary suspect."

"That's not as bad as I thought it would be. Did you change it up a bit just for Sakura-chan?"

"No. Do you have any questions, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded a quick 'no.' Kakashi's eyes were smiling, happy to see that she was alive. However, he was also angry at her for leaving, but age held wisdom. He knew many shinobi who had done similar actions. He also knew their reasons.

"Alright, both of you are dismissed. Naruto, you are to keep watch over her until in the morning when I can arrange for guards to watch her."

Naruto nodded. Both of them turned and went out of the office. They made the short trek to Naruto's apartment. Naruto unlocked the door and lead Sakura inside.

"Sakura-chan, are you hungry?"

She shook her head no. She hadn't spoken since they arrived in the village. She went to his couch and sat. He walked towards her, but loud banging suddenly startled him.

"NARUTO! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR THIS INSTANT!"

Naruto looked at Sakura, a slightly sadistic smile tugging at his lips. Ino was here for Sakura, not him. The fear on her face was self-explanatory.

* * *

Thank you for reading. The story seems to be bi-polar to me, but that is partly my fault and opinion. Sorry!


	7. Love is Vague

Newest chapter! Sorry it takes so long to post. I don't start writing until after 10 p.m. because I go to sleep as soon as I get home, and then I have things to do when I wake up at 8ish.

Because our school only has four make-up days for snow closings, we have to go on a Saturday to make up the fifth snow day. Which sucks, by the way…

To the people who have been reviewing (same 2 people after every recent post): Thank you so much! You are wonderful people. I only update so often because you say to!

Please enjoy!

* * *

Naruto walked to the door with purpose. He had yelled at Sakura all he wanted today. It was Ino's turn. He would probably yell more tomorrow, though. Sakura was shaking like a leaf in a violent hurricane. Was it wrong to say that her fear made him happy?

He got to the door and turned to face Sakura. He grinned at her, plugged one ear with a finger, and opened the door. Ino was standing there, face red and tear-stained. She marched angrily past Naruto, who quickly shut the door and plugged his other ear. Ino stopped when she reached Sakura.

"Keep it down, Ino-chan. The neighbors are sleeping," Naruto warned her, not really wanting any complaints from his neighbors.

Ino glared at him before turning her attention back to Sakura. Naruto saw Ino's hand twitch, knowing instantly what the future held for Sakura. The loud _smack!_ vibrated and bounced against the walls. He could have easily stopped Ino, but he had done the same exact thing when he first saw Sakura. To stop her would have been hypocritical.

Sakura cast her gaze downward. She was refusing to meet either of her friends' eyes now. Ino was shaking in rage.

"Sakura! Look at me, now!"

Sakura refused to meet her friend's gaze. Naruto could see the red handprint on her face glisten with fresh tears. She was crying again. She was ashamed again. She felt guilty again. She was wishing she could change the past again. Too bad time travel was impossible.

"Dammit, Sakura! Look at me. Look at me and explain. Tell me why the hell you left! Tell me what the fuck was going through that thick skull of yours to think that you aren't important. Dammit! Look at me!"

Ino slapped Sakura again. Sakura didn't retaliate. She just sat there, listening, allowing the abuse, knowing she deserved worse. She looked at Ino. Her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying she had done. And she was still crying. And she would be crying again tomorrow.

"Sakura, why? Why did you leave? Do you have any idea how much you hurt us, especially Naruto? He became a fucking drunk because of what you did. He got drunk so badly on night that he almost killed himself because of the pain you caused him. He lost all of his damn sense when you left. What the fuck do you have to say for yourself?"

Naruto hadn't told Sakura about the suicide attempts. Sakura's surprise was too obvious. So much for Naruto's plan to stay out of Ino's way…

"Ino-chan, why did you tell her that?"

His voice was strained. Ino turned to look at him. Ino was crying. She was crying out of frustration and pain, much like Naruto had done. Naruto knew that Sakura was going to have face this again. But, he knew she deserved it and would not try to protect her. Except, he didn't really like Ino telling Sakura about the suicide attempt. He was trying to forget.

"Why not! She is the cause of it. She is going to know what the hell she put everyone through. Don't try to protect her. You were the one hurt the most. Don't. Stick. Up. For. Her."

"I'm not sticking up for her; I'm sticking up for myself. I've been trying to forget."

Ino looked at him closely and realized that he was serious. She felt bad for him, but she knew Sakura had to know what she had caused. She nodded an apology to Naruto and turned back to Sakura. Sakura was looking at Naruto, shame covering her face like a scarlet letter. Ino didn't feel bad for her.

"Don't think I'll ever forgive you for what you have done. Naruto already has forgiven you; it's obvious. He loves you. I love you, too, but you have hurt me, Sakura. You're gonna have to go through hell twice before I ever trust your betraying ass ever again."

Ino wiped away the tears on her face. Then, she bent down and hugged Sakura. Ino was just like Naruto. She was unable to hate her friend. She was happy her friend was back. Sakura hugged her back, crying and apologizing with slurred words. Ino knew Sakura wouldn't get away so lightly with others like she had done with Naruto and herself. Some of Sakura's friends weren't her friends anymore. Some hated her.

* * *

Ino stayed until almost dawn. Sakura spoke to her through broken sobs and was slapped several more times before Ino left. Naruto listened to Sakura. He was surprised Sakura actually thought she was useless and hated. He guessed Sasuke's leaving had left her with no self-esteem. That was the only piece of logic that made her reasoning make sense.

After Ino left, Naruto held Sakura in his arms. He had ended up telling Sakura about his suicide attempt. She cried. She cried a lot. He wiped away her tears. She told him more about leaving. Naruto cried, too. He told her about the casualties caused by the war. Several of her friends had died. She cried more. Naruto held her tighter, kissing the top of her head, eventually moving to her mouth. He hated how much he loved her.

Sakura had fallen asleep on the couch. Naruto covered her with his jacket and a blanket. He watched her sleep for a few minutes, relieved she was back where she belonged. He sighed. He was sleepy. He walked to her, kissed her cheek, and went to bed.

Both of them slept all day. Both had a dreamless rest. Both cried in their sleep. Both missed being away from the other.

Naruto awoke to the smell of ramen. Fresh ramen, not the instant kind. He followed the smell to the kitchen, where Sakura was fixing ramen from scratch. The noodles had just come to a boil. He walked over to her and grabbed her from behind. He held her in this embrace until he had to let her go to tend to the food.

He sat down at the table and watched her cook. She fixed him a bowl and set it in front of him. Then she fixed herself a bowl and joined him at the table. They ate in silence. When they were finished, Sakura cleaned up the kitchen while Naruto went to sit on the couch.

Sakura joined Naruto on the couch, sitting in his lap. He held her there tightly. He kissed her. He didn't want her to ever leave again. But, he couldn't help but wonder that maybe her leaving him made her realize that she loved him. It didn't matter. She was with him now.

"Sakura-chan, I love you."

"I love you, too."

Naruto picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. He laid her down and got in bed beside her, kissing her the entire time. Neither of them was seen for the rest of the day.

* * *

Umm, yeah, well this is the end of this chapter.

Ends on a vague note. Sorry about that.

The next chapter is gonna skip a few years into the future, just to warn you.

Thank you very much for reading!!!

On a different note, anyone read the newest chapter of _Naruto_? WTF?! Is Sakura insane or just plotting something? Naruto was pretty sneaky, though. Course, so was what Sakura did to her friends....


	8. Devastation

Thanks for the reviews. I have to agree with chuck, what is he thinking? I think the story will be ruined if there isn't some logical twist. But, that's an opinion...

Please Enjoy!

* * *

_Five Years Later_

Naruto woke up, light pouring from the window onto his face. He was tired. Some genin had thought it would be funny to set off fireworks after midnight last night. And, since he was now the Hokage, it was his job to punish the trouble-makers and calm down the angry civilians.

Naruto rolled over and sat up, stretching. He yawned, got up, and headed towards the kitchen. He glanced at the sink, taking in the monstrous stack of dishes occupying it. He needed to clean up his apartment, but there hadn't been any time to lately. He opened the pantry, grabbing a box of instant ramen. He fixed his breakfast and demolished it.

While he was in the process of demolishing his breakfast, a knock came from the living room. He glanced at the clock and frowned. He had really overslept. He got up and went to the door. Two small children, a boy and a girl, were standing there, covered in paint. He bent down and picked both of the kids up, ruffling their heads as he carried them to the bathroom to wash the paint off of them.

The two children were telling him stories as he cleaned them off. One would start and the other would finish. How they completed each other's thoughts always confused him, but he guessed all twins were like this.

"Momma said that Daddy was –"

"the Hokage! Is this true?"

Naruto looked at them. Sakura didn't live with him. Since she had left the village, there was always a chance she could be plotting an inside attack. And, he was the Hokage. Having a traitor as a wife wasn't exactly what the city of Konoha liked. So, they lived separately, but were never really apart.

"Yeah, Daddy is the Hokage."

His son looked up at him and gave the biggest grin possible. His daughter hugged him. It was strange, this parent-hood thing. He had almost passed out when Sakura told him. She had only been back home for four months. However, it was just the excitement that nearly made him pass out. He was extremely happy about becoming a dad.

"That's so cool!"

"Daddy, can I be the next Hokage?"

He ruffled his daughter's hair and smiled at his son.

"Of course you can. You need to train and practice a whole lot, though."

His son smiled at him and jumped up and down. Naruto wondered where he got all of his energy from. Sakura wasn't ever this hyper, so maybe it was her parents…

"Alright, you two, why did you come over covered in paint?"

The twins looked at each other and grinned. They always had some shared secret, even if they were only four years old. They were sneaky little things.

"We were painting a picture –"

"for Mommy and Daddy!"

"Then where is the picture at?"

Naruto turned around to see Sakura standing in near the door. He stood up and moved towards her. He kissed her and hugged her. She had had been working at the hospital on day and night shifts. He had barely seen her the past few weeks.

"Eww…"

"Yucky!"

Naruto laughed at his kids. He could feel Sakura laughing, too. It was strange. He had never thought that he would be like this with Sakura. Yet, she was his wife, the mother of his children, and his closest friend. He was still hurt from her leaving. But, she had managed to prove to him that she wouldn't leave. Only a monster would leave her children behind. And Sakura wasn't a monster.

He felt two little things latch themselves to his legs and looked down. The twins were hugging his legs, yawning. Sakura bent down and fixed the little girl's hair.

"Is it past you two's naptime? Come on, Mommy and Daddy will tuck you in."

The children nodded sleepily and let go of their dad's leg. All four of them walked into the twin's bedroom, the twins crawling into bed. Naruto and Sakura tucked both of them in and left the room quietly. They went to the living room and sat down.

"Have fun with the fireworks last night?"

"NO. I didn't get into bed until almost five this morning."

Sakura moved to where she was sitting in his lap and massaged his shoulders.

"Poor Naruto."

He closed his eyes and smiled. Sakura had managed to convince him that she wouldn't leave him ever again. She had proved she loved him. He would never forget the pain she had caused him though. He also knew she wouldn't forget the pain she had caused herself. He wrapped his arms around Sakura and kissed her again.

"Hey, let's go take a nap, too."

* * *

When Naruto woke up for the second time that day, it was late in the afternoon. Sakura was still asleep beside him, snuggled close. He kissed the top of her head and got out of bed. He stretched and went to go check on the twins.

Naruto walked into the room, not surprised to find his children sitting on the floor playing with their toys. His daughter was playing with her dolls; his son was playing with fake ninja gear. He trekked into the room and sat on the floor with them. They looked at him and smiled. Naruto would never trade the time he spent with his kids for anything in the world.

"Daddy!"

"You and Mommy slept a long time!"

"Mommy and Daddy have to take a nap sometimes, too."

His children tackled him to the floor. It wasn't ever fair; two against one always tipped the odds. Naruto tickled both of them. All three fell, laughing.

"Naruto, be careful."

Naruto looked up and saw Sakura leaning against the door, smiling at the three of them. The kids hopped up and ran to their mother, almost knocking her down. She bent down and hugged both of them. The hugged her back.

Naruto got up and walked over to them. He joined the hug, feeling left out. He kissed Sakura, who blushed slightly.

"I'm need to go fix dinner. Any suggestions?"

An agreement of ramen was suggested. Naruto laughed, finding it funny that his kids liked the same food that he did despite Sakura always trying to get them to eat healthily.

Sakura shook her head, amused. She left to fix dinner. Naruto played with his children until the ramen was fixed. When dinner was finished, all three of them joined Sakura in the kitchen at the table. They ate the meal, laughing most of the time.

After dinner, the kids took a bath and were put to bed. Sakura and Naruto stayed up, talking. After a while, they too, went to bed.

* * *

When Naruto woke up the next morning, he wasn't surprised to see Sakura missing. She had said she had to go in early to the hospital. The kids were gone, too. Sakura dropped them off at their school on her way to work. So, he got ready and went to the Hokage tower to do all the paperwork that went along with the job.

About lunch time, only half of the paperwork was completed. And about lunch time, someone came in and told him the second most devastating news he had ever heard. Sakura was gone again.

* * *

Sorry, I had to do it. After the most recent chapter in the actual manga, this was appropriate. Extremely appropriate.

Anyways, thank you for reading. I really do appreciate it.

_For the English people who have to correct mistakes_: Please correct any mistakes in spelling or grammar in the story (not these notes because I know the grammar is way off). I need all the help I can get 'cause I have that tenth grade state english exam, and Mississippi's state average is a 2 out of a possible 4... I really want to get a 4, but they way they grade the thing is ridiculous. The AP students got 2s and 3s. Only one person in our county got a 4. I'm disappointed in the school system... No wonder people from Mississippi are always suspected of stupidity...


	9. Selfishness

Thanks for your opinions about the newest chapter in the actual manga. I honestly can't wait till the new chapter is posted. _Naruto_ has been my favorite manga for a while now, but I want to see how it ends soon. It has almost five hundred chapters O_o…

To everyone who was worried that Sakura was going to join Sasuke in this story, he's dead. I can't stand his revenge crap and emo-nism, so I don't want him in this story. (To those who like him, sorry, but it's my honest opinion.)

Please enjoy! ^_^

* * *

It was cold. And dark. Plus, the place smelled musty. And to put the icing on the cake, Sakura's hands were bound together, and her chakra was drained.

Sakura had woken up about three hours ago. She had screamed until her throat was sore. No one had answered. To be honest, she was scared. She wanted Naruto near her, to reassure her everything would be all right, but he was back in Konoha, probably thinking she had betrayed him again.

She sighed. She could no longer scream. Crying wouldn't help. She had no weapons on her; she had been teaching new medics at the hospital. Which was why she was here. The cadavers weren't dead like most cadavers typically were. They were ninja who had come to kidnap her because she was the Hokage's wife. And, unfortunately, they had succeeded in their kidnapping. Plus, they had left no witnesses, so it made her look like a traitor.

All the new medics were now dead, murdered because they had been near her. The tears came when she remembered all the faces of her students; when she remembered her husband and children. She cried, all her sadness running down her face like lonely rivers. God, she missed Naruto. She had worked so hard to make him believe that she wouldn't leave him again. But, now she was kidnapped and framed as a traitor. If only she had been paying attention! But, she had been in what was supposedly a 'safe' place. She had let her guard down.

Sakura cried until she passed out, drained and sad and lonely.

* * *

Naruto was pissed. He had gone to the hospital to look at the scene of the attack. Whoever had done this had been determined to frame Sakura as a traitor. Too bad Sakura still had guards watching her every move. Too bad the guards had also seen everything and even managed to grab one of the infiltrators. However, the guards hadn't been quick enough to save Sakura. But one had tagged a spy, so they had a trail to follow. Which is always better than nothing.

The stupid spies had thought that they could break Naruto by making it look like Sakura had left him again. Their plan backfired. Instead of weakening him, they had made him pissed and ready to kill. And kill he would when he found the fuckers who had done this.

Naruto turned to the guards. They had been trying to reason with that, since he was the Hokage, he couldn't leave. He ignored their advice, wanting to find Sakura himself. Ino was also trying to reason with him.

"Naruto, you can't go. Think about it. Some spies already made it in Konoha. What if more come while you are gone? Let me go get Sakura. I promise I can bring her back safe and sound."

She was begging. It wasn't working.

"Ino-chan, I take this attack personally. They took my most important person. I'm not going to sit by idly. The retrieval mission won't take a day. I'll go, get Sakura, and come back."

"What about your kids? What if you leave and the spies kidnap them?"

"I'll leave you or someone else I trust to watch them."

"Naruto, you aren't listening to reason."

"Ino, I'm pissed. Those fucking spies hit me at my most vulnerable point. I want to make sure I let them know not to ever do it again."

"…"

Naruto looked at her. She was at a loss for words. He knew no one could talk him out of leaving. He was going and that was final. He turned back to the guards and gave them orders to follow in his absence. They saluted and went off to complete their various tasks.

Naruto looked back at Ino. She was glaring at him, angry with him for being so irrational. She couldn't believe he was going to do something so stupid.

"Ino, are you going or are you going to baby-sit?"

Ino gaped at him, refusing to believe that he was giving her an ultimatum. He was being selfish and childish. Why couldn't he see that going after Sakura himself could cause problems for the whole city?

"Well?"

"I-I'm going. I can't let the Hokage die."

"The mission isn't dangerous."

"Then let someone else to it!"

"No. Go find Shikamaru and tell him he's baby-sitting."

Ino glared at him before going off to find Shikamaru. She gave up arguing with him. She'd leave it to Sakura when they found her. God, she had no idea how Sakura put up with someone as hard-headed as Naruto.

* * *

Naruto hugged his kids good-bye and left with Ino and several other ninjas. The place where Sakura had been taken wasn't too far from the city. It would take a few hours traveling nonstop, though. But, that was exactly what Naruto planned on doing. He couldn't stand the thought of someone taking Sakura away from him. It pissed him off to no end.

Ino watched Naruto as they traveled. He hadn't spoken much. The look on his face said more than enough, however. His face was set in a grimace with eyes full of angry determination. He looked more like a Hokage now than he ever did sitting behind the desk in the Hokage's office. Ino wasn't surprised, though. She knew how much he cared for Sakura, even if she still thought it was stupid of him to leave the city behind for a B-rank mission a group of Jounin could take care of easily.

Ino sighed. Sometimes Naruto could be so stubborn. But, even she couldn't help but be jealous of Sakura. Sakura had someone willing to sacrifice a whole city just to rescue her. Ino wished she could find someone like that…

About four hours later, they arrived at the base where Sakura was being held captive. It was cave in the side of a mountain. It wasn't really anything spectacular; just another dirty little cave that was used temporarily for certain situations. Naruto went over the rescue plans with the group that had come with him. When he was sure everyone understood their job, they entered the cave.

* * *

Hopefully this chapter made some of you happy. A lot of people were worried I was making Sakura join Sasuke… :( I would never do something so atrocious… Also, sorry about this chapter being so short. I do apologize for it.

Thank you for reading. All the reviews have been wonderful. I really do appreciate it!

Anyways, I have a question. (It serves 2 purposes: I want an answer and to see if anyone reads this part of the chapter.):

Is 161.3 centimeters (63 inches) short (for a girl)?

My friends all tell me I'm short, but I don't think I am. :|

Of course, my friends are the same people who tell me that I'm Asian/Australian/Jewish because of my personality and accent…

And the same people who argue with me that they will beat me in Algebra II. (I say that this is impossible. I have a 100 average. Only one person has a higher average than me in that class and his grade is like 101 or 102. And he does rub it in my face.)

Yes, I do have strange friends.

If you answer my question, I thank you in advance.


	10. End

Wow, you guys actually read these notes. Thanks! And the answer to the height question didn't really matter… I just needed a test question to see who would answer. I know I am short, especially when my friends are like 172.5 to 180 centimeters (5'9" to 6'). I look like a little kid next to them, especially the ones on the football team… D:

& about the grade contest we have: I have a 4.4 weighted GPA (I have taken all the AP classes my school offers that I can take). I get mad if I make lower than the highest possible score, even if it's by 1 point… The only person beating my GPA has 4.56. (Though, I must add that I do live in Mississippi, so having a high GPA here is like being the tallest kindergartener, you may the tallest in your grade, but compared to other grades, you are still very, very short…) Yes, I am very anal about my grades.

Anyways, I'm rambling. Please Enjoy!

* * *

The hideout was dark and musty. Overall, it was a very unpleasant place. The air was thick and heavy, making moving and breathing a little more difficult than usual. The group of ninjas moved silently and quickly. The cave wasn't very big; finding Sakura wasn't going to be difficult.

Naruto lead the way, making sure to create no errors. He wanted to find Sakura and leave. Though, he was looking forward to killing whoever had decided to kidnap Sakura. The thought pleased him greatly even if it was sadistic in nature. Naruto followed the path, keeping all of his senses on alert for any changes in anything. The ninjas accompanying him were following his orders perfectly. This mission was going smoothly.

After wandering along the rugged path, the group came to a large, empty chamber. Well, almost-empty chamber. There were two ninjas in the room plus Naruto's group. One ninja had pink hair and was bound to the wall of the vast cavern. The other was standing, taunting the bound one.

Naruto gave the signal to his group to let them know to take their positions. Everyone obeyed, being cautious of possible traps and hidden ninjas. Ino was the one to go in and confront the only visible enemy. She had refused to let Naruto go. Konoha had had too many changes in leadership in the last few years; it didn't need another change so soon.

Ino walked slowly, making no noise. Sakura and the ninja still hadn't noticed the group. She crept slowly in the shadows, making no mistakes. When she was close enough, she sprang and slammed the ninja to the ground, holding a kunai threateningly at his neck. Naruto came and attended Sakura while the rest of the group assisted Ino with the enemy.

The mission had been completed successfully.

* * *

Naruto's group plus Sakura and the enemy ninja arrived back in Konoha later that day. The spy had been questioned by Ino. It seemed the Village Hidden in the Leaves still had enemies even after the war. Even if the enemy wasn't a big threat, the threat that had been posed by the kidnapping of Sakura would still be taken seriously. The spy and his employers would be punished.

Naruto had taken Sakura home after Ino made sure she wasn't injured. Ino would never understand how someone could love someone enough to sacrifice the safety of a whole city. If the enemy had been strong, problems could have arisen from Naruto's selfish behavior. He needed to learn that his duty was to protect the city, not sacrifice it for someone who had left him once before.

Ino sighed and went home. It had been a long day, and she was tired. Shikamaru had been relieved of his baby-sitting duties and sent to interview the prisoner more, so Ino had no one to visit since everyone else was out of the city.

Ino staggered into her apartment and collapsed on her couch. She hoped she, too, would find someone that loved and cared for her like Naruto loved Sakura.

* * *

Naruto hadn't stopped asking Sakura if she was okay since he had found her. He hadn't stopped asking her what was wrong, either. He was only doing it because she hadn't stopped crying. If she stopped crying, he would stop asking.

They had picked up the children after getting back. The kids were worried when they saw their mother weeping uncontrollably. They too had been asking if she was okay. Somehow, though, this made her cry even more. And the more she cried, the more she was asked.

Now, all four were back at Naruto's home. Naruto had put the kids to bed early so he could talk to Sakura. He wanted to know what was wrong. He was worried that the spies may have done something to her that Ino hadn't been able to detect. If they had, he would kill the captured one and find the others just to kill them.

Naruto and Sakura were sitting on the couch, one inconsolable, the other panicked. Naruto was rubbing her back, telling her to tell him what was wrong. Sakura replied by crying even more than she had been before.

"Please, Sakura-chan, tell me what's wrong."

She didn't respond. She shook her head and looked at him. She smiled lightly, more tears falling down her face onto her lap.

"Sakura-chan, it will make you feel better if you tell me what the matter is. I promise it will. You trust me, right? Then please tell me. I don't like to see you crying like this!"

"I-I was w-w-worried you-u would think th-that I be-betrayed you again."

"I would never think that! Why would I even consider that possibility? Sakura, you have proved that you won't leave me again. I know you won't. Only a monster could leave her children behind. Only a heartless person would leave and know what they were doing to all the people that loved them."

He paused and shook his head in disbelief. What a stupid reason to cry over.

"Sakura-chan, the first time you left, you left because you felt your life held no purpose. You left because you thought no one would care. But, now, you know you aren't worthless. You know that people do care what happens to you. You know you have people that love you and would cry if you left again. Please quit crying, Sakura-chan. I love you."

"I-I love you, too-o."

He stroked her cheek and pushed her hair out of her face. He kissed her and smiled. No matter how many times they had this conversation, he still remembered how much she had hurt him. He remembered finding her in that remote place and wanting to hate her.

Yet, he couldn't hate her. He still couldn't. She had stayed with him, given him two children, and she loved him. And she remembered all the pain she had caused him and felt the guilt all the time. She felt like she was a horrible person all the time and tried her best to do things to change that. Naruto was there with her, supporting her and reminding her that he loved her.

No matter how much they hurt each other, they loved each other. No matter how much they cried, both were there to dry the other's tears. And no matter how much people would try to separate them, they would stay together because they loved each other.

* * *

The end! Thanks for reading the whole thing! ^_^

I do realize that my fighting scenes absolutely suck. No need to remind me in the reviews like some did for my other story....

I know, really short with a crappy ending, but I had to end it sometime. -_-

If you are angry with the ending, please let me know. As a small consolation prize, I wrote another story _Plausible_ that is also SakuNaru. Read it if you wish.

I noticed that throughout the story, I left the angry angst genre to something lighter. I think it's because the music I was listening to while writing got lighter. (I went from metal, bands like Bloodsimple and Godsmack, to lighter music, like Blink-182 and The Exies. Sorry, I can only listen to a band so long before the three songs I have by them get old…)

Anyways, thanks again for reading. I do appreciate it.


	11. Reviews

This will probably be the last update for this story. All this page is for is just to say thank you to all who reviewed and nothing more. *Note: Short reviews, short mention. Long reviews, long mention.

**REMNANT_SOLDIER** – Your reviews were always so wonderful! I really do appreciate you taking a chance and reading my story. And sorry about the ending. I always rush the endings no matter the story. I think it's because I get bored.

Thank you very much. Please suggest ideas for this pairing or another. I'll write one so you'll have something to read. Anyways, thanks again for your reviews. :)

****this is new****

Haha, you forgot your password! I'm not alone! Sorry, I find it funny because I forget mine all the time. And when firefox decides to make me remember, I just don't log on that day...

You play Call of Duty? I know I'm about to sound stupid, but is that the game with zombie Nazis and zombie dogs? Or is that some other game? My cousin made me play some game with him at like 5 in the morning over the summer and there were some zombie dogs. I was horrified of dogs for the next few days... (O_o) Plus, I absolutely loathe xBox 360 and kept dying. The Nazis got me. There are way too many buttons on the damn controller. & it doesn't play movies. I don't have a PS3 (yet), but I have a PSP and a PS2. I think I only like Playstation so much because it used to be the only platform to play the Final Fantasy games on, but the newest one comes out on playstation and xBox. :( I don't have either, so I guess it doesn't matter too much right now...

Also, you guys need to really calm it down with the controllers. Those things aren't cheap! I know it's called the human 'race', but you don't have to demolish everything to win.

Thanks to your reviews, my most recent bad day was turned around. Thank you.

*****this is even newer*****

You really need to make a profile if you plan to continue this conversation. lol! oh well, i never got to play final fantasy vii because i was 3 when it came out... (that would have been hilarious!) i really want to play it, but it isn't the easiest or cheapest game to get. i heard they might remake it for ps3, and there was even a tech trailer, but i think it was a long while back when that came out. i have the movie and crisis core for psp, but i have never played the original.

thanks for saying i was your favorite author, even if the review page is longer than some chapters....!

**Sexy Kurenai** – Thank you also for your wonderful reviews! Your emotions behind your opinions really come through in your reviews. (By this I mean I could tell easily whether you liked the chapter, hated the chapter, or you were just angry that some element in the story really didn't make sense…) Anyways, thanks. I really appreciate the reviews.

**Pharix **– Your messages made me laugh! ^_^ It seemed, from your message, like you too jumped the gun about the Sakura in my story… Thanks for reading and for reviewing, though. That message made my day!

**Heaven at Nite **– Thank you for your review! It did kinda seem like the manga, huh? It was intended…

**SasuSakuFan23345** – Sakura didn't go back to Sasuke in this story or the manga. It was kinda obvious… Thanks for your review!

**chuck** – Thank you. I appreciate your review. :) Though, I highly doubt you will stop reading _Naruto_ if Sakura has a temporary lapse of sanity…

**Terms2k1** – Thank you for your review! Hope you didn't expect anything graphic… I don't write stories like that.

**DRAGSLY1 - _"_**_i loved the story but when you wrote that sakura had disapeared i was so angry i broke my mouse and had to buy another one. and not to be raiding on your parade here but YOU ARE A F* DOUCHE BAG FOR MAKING ME BREAK MY MOUSE that wasn't cool._

_your friend always, DRAGSLY1"_

Dearest dragsly1, I am still laughing at you and will be for the rest of my life!!! How did you break your mouse? Did you slam it down like most teenage guys who get angry or did you pull out a gun and shoot it? Plus, unless I went to your home and held you at gunpoint until you broke your mouse, I do believe your mouse randomly combusted internally, fooling you into believing you broke your mouse because of my story...

Jeez, if you are a guy, answer me this: "Why do guys get angry and break things?" Like when a guy plays a video game, if something doesn't go right, he gets pissed and slams the controller on the ground hard enough to break it. Calm down! Controllers aren't cheap!

Anyways, I appreciate your, um, _enthusiasm_ for my story. :) (: And really, is douche bag the best you can do? You remind me of the guy who is beating me by 0.11. That's about the only insult he uses.....

**del** - I thank you for having a very honest opinion. I do agree that I avoided Sakura's opinion, but that's because I didn't really care... To be honest with you, I didn't think anyone would notice, but you proved me wrong. :)

For your questions:

1. Kakashi retired and appointed Naruto as Hokage. He didn't die. He's just not mentioned again because, in case you haven't noticed, I am extremely lazy.

2. I don't really remember my reasoning, but I think I made it that way because, since Sakura did leave, some people didn't want Sakura near Naruto when he was vulnerable, like sleeping or eating. She could try and kill him... But she didn't and she won't. So, instead of letting people harass and demean her constantly, Naruto placated the people by saying she lived elsewhere, though you should know she hardly stayed at her house...

As to why I dragged out the hurt and comfort part, I was mad at someone, so I kinda got depressed. (I didn't do anything stupid like cut myself for those who like to assume; I was just mad at them for not listening to other people's opinions. & by other people's I mean mine.) You know, typical teenage angst... *_*

& I think I should mention, that even though I do respect and appreciate your opinion, as I was reading your review, I thought, "What a bitch! Who gave them the right to pay that much attention to the storyline. You didn't have to read it. No one forced you..." (That was for the first paragraph; I changed my mind after I read the whole thing. After I finished, I was like, "Huh, what an opinionated person who deserves respect. Thank you, Del. I will now add you to the last chapter with a reply to your questions." Which, clearly, I did. ) (:

I have absolutely no common sense; just book smarts, which is why the story is kinda scatter-brained.

Anyways, your opinion mattered to me. I hope I answer your questions.

Thank you! ^_^

**darkdiabloca** - Thanks for the review! I will use your advice, though knowing my friends, they will turn it around one way or another... O_o Honestly, girls **are** supposed to be shorter than guys. However, the guy who calls me short all the time is like 2.5 centimeters taller than I am... (1 inch) Telling him he's just too tall is kinda pointless...

* * *

Thanks again to all who reviewed. REMNANT_SOLDIER and Sexy Kurenai left the most reviews, so they deserve the biggest THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!. DRAGSLY1, you my friend have earned my respect. And I still haven't quit laughing!

Thanks for reading. I'll write more soon.


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